SUPPLY CHAIN ARTICLES

• “Holy T7 Polymerase, Batman!”: R&D Considerations For More Awe-Inspiring xRNA

  It goes without saying we have some pretty ambitious therapeutic goals for linear mRNA and next-gen saRNA and circRNA. However, as my conversation with Koeris explored, we still have a lot of scientific and technical work/innovation ahead of us to make our RNA products “stronger” (in more ways than one).

• Beyond The Gold Standard(s): Modernizing Oligonucleotide Synthesis

  A few weeks ago, I had the chance to sit down with OPT Congress speaker Phil Baran, Richard Lerner Chair Professor, Department of Chemistry, Scripps Research. Baran was slated to (and did) present a keynote on the innovations shaping the next generation of oligo synthesis. Here, I share the biggest takeaways I had from our conversation, touching on how he sees the science of oligo chemistry and manufacturing advancing in the near and far future. 

• Assessing Quality Of mRNA Vaccines: Key Considerations

  To address the need for standards for mRNA vaccines, the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) has convened vaccine experts to identify important quality attributes and to propose test methods that can be used to assess mRNA vaccine products. This article shares those CQAs and analytical procedure tips.

• What Violin Making Can Teach Us About mRNA Therapeutic Quality

  Managing the mRNA supply chain and working in mRNA process development may not look anything like the work a luthier does to hew an instrument from an ancient spruce tree. But violin craftmanship actually serves as a fantastic metaphor for the challenging work the mRNA therapeutics space is tackling in sourcing and qualifying raw materials and optimizing the critical IVT reaction.

• Picasso, Pick-Up Lines, & Personalized Medicine: mRNA's Path Forward

  Overall, my presentation on what the mRNA industry can learn from the artist Picasso singled out a few specific areas from which I felt our industry could garner greater inspiration and operational prowess. But given how “collaborative” many of these sources of inspiration are, I’ve introduced each of my takeaways with a surprisingly relevant (albeit bad) art-themed pick-up line. After all, if there’s one sector that knows it takes more than one to “tango,” it’s the mRNA industry.

• “To Thine Own [mRNA Product] Be True:” Shakespeare's Guide To RNA GMP Principles

  In the following article, I offer some of the biggest tips and tricks experts offered during a panel discussion on the challenges of navigating GMP principles in the RNA space today — with a little bit of help from Shakespeare himself.